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My ArcSaber 11 review

I've played with my ArcSaber 11 now for a couple of sessions and I've been surprised by the amount of adjustment required from my Arc10.

In my opinion the Arc11 is significantly stiffer than the 10. Head weight is basically the same I think.

The racket seems a bit more stable on reaction shots but for some reason clears and drives are requiring a bit more wrist strength. The power is there when I strike it cleanly but this seems to be a much more challenging racket to use than the Arc10. Which is odd because my experience seems counter to all the reviews I've read.

My Arc10 is quite old now and maybe the shafts loosened up over time or something?

The Arc11 has potential but I'd recommend people try it out first if possible.

The racket certainly seems to be a bit more stable on defence. Whilst it isn't any faster to move through the air than the 10 I think it's more forgiving on reaction shots that aren't quite clean. Slices and drops seem a little more reliable as well.

The really odd thing is though that I think the swing speed is different. I can't be sure that there is a difference in head weight - if there is its imperceptible - but this is the only explanation I can think of.

It's still a fun racket to play with but I get the feeling that whilst the Arc10 is very much a jack of all trades the Arc11 is focussed more on a quick response placement type game - but it's not as easy to attack with as the Arc10 in my, admittedly limited, experience.

Both are excellent doubles rackets because they are good both at the front and the back of the court. I've not played singles with the 11 yet but I've used the 10 in singles a lot. The 10 is an OK singles racket - however it suffers a little in the power department.

This is most notable in back court clears. The racket is more than powerful enough for back to back clears however you need good timing and technique to achieve this as the racket doesn't give you much help - it's head is not heavy enough to give you any assistance. So if you are a good singles player the racket is a good singles racket. But I will normally play singles with my At700 as the head weight helps me conserve energy a bit more.

Ultimately in doubles both the 10 and 11 are very similar - they're not flashy and they don't particularly assist your game but they both just let you get on and play without hindering you - they expose your actual form and I suspect are good rackets to learn with and to develop as a player with. You don't notice them in other words. Which I find to be a good thing. There are no major bonuses but there aren't any limitations to work around either.

I think the 11 is very slightly tweaked to be more of a kind of 'quick decision' racket - the stability is good and it's slightly more reliable on intercepts but this is splitting hairs a little bit.